Only 10 Horses in 2017 Sir John Monash Stakes Field

Just ten horses will take to the Caulfield track on Saturday in the Sir John Monash Stakes 2017 field, a nice early spring preparatory race for some Group 1 bound sprinters.

Lord Of The Sky is the top-rated sprinter in Saturday’s 2017 Sir John Monash Stakes field at Caulfield Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Running as Race 7 at 3:30pm (AEST), this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) may be well under capacity but there’s class among the final acceptors including the returning Robbie Laing-trained Lord Of The Sky.

Last seen running fifth in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield back in mid-August last year, Lord Of The Sky ran a first-up fourth to Wild Rain in the 2016 Sir John Monash Stakes before a Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) win.

A recent Cranbourne trial win over 760m has the horse set to resume off the lengthy time away and continue his good Caulfield record that stands at six wins from 13 starts to date.

Also attracting pre-race attention is Blackfriars four-year-old Chocolate Holic who debuts for DarrenWeir first-up in the Sir John Monash Stakes field on the weekend.

The former Perth-trained sprinter is yet to race outside of W.A. but has strong form that he’s out to bring east over the coming months.

Last start Chocolate Holic won the Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on December 10 by two lengths when prepared by Grant and Alana Williams and he has had two trials since.

“He is a really nice horse,” Weir said of his recent stable acquisition.

“He’ll kick off in the Sir John Monash on Saturday, but it’s likely the 1100m will be a bit sharp for him first-up.

“He’ll then head to the Bletchingly Stakes [on July 29], and then probably he’ll go third-up into the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence at Caulfield [on August 19].”

The only last start winner accepted for the Sir John Monash Stakes this winter is the Ryan Balfour-trained Cashed drawn in barrier three for his second start at Caulfield.

The Adelaide raider comes off a Morphettville win over 1050m from June 24 and has solid form over the 1100m (18-4-5-0).

Cashed raced at Caulfield back in October of 2015 running second in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) during a stint in Melbourne, but returns for the first time since on Saturday.

Also in nice form leading-up to the Group 3 this weekend is Andrew Murray’s Hard Spun six-year-old Sunday Escape who was runner-up at the track and distance in mid-May before a close fourth down the 1100m at Flemington on June 24 behind Ability.

Ability franked that form winning the Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) last Saturday and there could be money on Sunday Escape to do the same heading to Caulfield for his next-up run.